Small Towns outside the Dallas-Fort worth Metroplex (Garland, Richardson: home, buy)

[CelestinoZ]

Have you considered Nevada, TX or Lavon.

Here is a house in Nevada, TX. Nevada isn't exactly out in the country, but it isn't yet crowded like a suburb. This house is slightly above your price range of $250,000

https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...-52114?view=qv

This house is located in Community ISD, which is about average. From Nevada you are looking at a 75 minute commute to McKinney during rush hour, 30-45 minutes to Rockwall, and 90 minutes to downton Dallas. The property comes on 1 acre and is a 4/3 house, and is close to Lavon lake. However, I wouldn't expect Nevada to retain its openess for too much longer. DFW is rapidly growing, and it will probably be getting a little crowded within the next 5 years.

Lavon will put you closer to the development, as you are only 6 miles away from downtown Wylie. Wylie is located across the lake from Lavon. Lavon is on the cusp of being developed, developers will probably start building new developments within the next 3-5 years, so expect to be surrounded by people in the coming years. Lavon will also put you in Community ISD, and it will be about 45 minutes from Mckinney, it is only about 8 miles from Rockwall. I don't know about the traffic on 205, but plan for about 20-30 minutes, and about 90 minutes to downtown Dallas. I only mention Lavon because it offers you close access to Lavon Lake, there a places where you can find 1+acre lots where you would be surrounded by neighbors, and there are older properties where you won't have restrictive HOA's.

Here is a house in Lavon on 1.17 acres, it is a 4/2, it is an older home though. https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...-47076?view=qv

[austinaggie]

Maybe Anna, Texas?

[Treasurevalley92]

Originally Posted by turf3

I think people have the idea that DFW is kind of like Kerrville or Temple in size, with oil wells, cattle ranches, and tumbleweeds everywhere. It doesn't matter how many times you point out that there are 7 million people living in this small Texas town, they just can't comprehend it.

I mean anyone who watches sports sees the Dallas sky line on the reg should know this isn't true. I didn't know anything at all about Dallas before I moved here, but I didn't expect anything besides a large city.

[turf3]

Originally Posted by CelestinoZ

Have you considered Nevada, TX or Lavon.

Here is a house in Nevada, TX. Nevada isn't exactly out in the country, but it isn't yet crowded like a suburb. This house is slightly above your price range of $250,000

https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...-52114?view=qv

This house is located in Community ISD, which is about average. From Nevada you are looking at a 75 minute commute to McKinney during rush hour, 30-45 minutes to Rockwall, and 90 minutes to downton Dallas. The property comes on 1 acre and is a 4/3 house, and is close to Lavon lake. However, I wouldn't expect Nevada to retain its openess for too much longer. DFW is rapidly growing, and it will probably be getting a little crowded within the next 5 years.

Lavon will put you closer to the development, as you are only 6 miles away from downtown Wylie. Wylie is located across the lake from Lavon. Lavon is on the cusp of being developed, developers will probably start building new developments within the next 3-5 years, so expect to be surrounded by people in the coming years. Lavon will also put you in Community ISD, and it will be about 45 minutes from Mckinney, it is only about 8 miles from Rockwall. I don't know about the traffic on 205, but plan for about 20-30 minutes, and about 90 minutes to downtown Dallas. I only mention Lavon because it offers you close access to Lavon Lake, there a places where you can find 1+acre lots where you would be surrounded by neighbors, and there are older properties where you won't have restrictive HOA's.

Here is a house in Lavon on 1.17 acres, it is a 4/2, it is an older home though. https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...-47076?view=qv

Do you have any idea what it is like to commute from Lavon to downtown Dallas? Or to McKinney?


That would be a hell commute for 95% of normal people.


OP, you are not going to find what you want without having to spend huge amounts of time (like multiple hours every day) on the road in traffic that will be progressively worse each year. You need to go somewhere in the middle of those three locations. With a small budget I would suggest North Garland, or older parts of Richardson maybe, or Mesquite maybe (though that's a long way to McKinney), or maybe old East Plano.

[turf3]

Originally Posted by austinaggie

Maybe Anna, Texas?

Anna to downtown Dallas? Really? Do you have a personal helicopter and a helipad at both ends of the trip?


I mean, it'll just be you and 250,000 of your closest friends all going the same way at the same time. Maybe you can have a flexible work schedule. Like, come in to the office at 3 am and leave at 9 pm.

[DitsyD]

Originally Posted by CelestinoZ

Have you considered Nevada, TX or Lavon.

Here is a house in Nevada, TX. Nevada isn't exactly out in the country, but it isn't yet crowded like a suburb. This house is slightly above your price range of $250,000

https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...-52114?view=qv

This house is located in Community ISD, which is about average. From Nevada you are looking at a 75 minute commute to McKinney during rush hour, 30-45 minutes to Rockwall, and 90 minutes to downton Dallas. The property comes on 1 acre and is a 4/3 house, and is close to Lavon lake. However, I wouldn't expect Nevada to retain its openess for too much longer. DFW is rapidly growing, and it will probably be getting a little crowded within the next 5 years.

Lavon will put you closer to the development, as you are only 6 miles away from downtown Wylie. Wylie is located across the lake from Lavon. Lavon is on the cusp of being developed, developers will probably start building new developments within the next 3-5 years, so expect to be surrounded by people in the coming years. Lavon will also put you in Community ISD, and it will be about 45 minutes from Mckinney, it is only about 8 miles from Rockwall. I don't know about the traffic on 205, but plan for about 20-30 minutes, and about 90 minutes to downtown Dallas. I only mention Lavon because it offers you close access to Lavon Lake, there a places where you can find 1+acre lots where you would be surrounded by neighbors, and there are older properties where you won't have restrictive HOA's.

Here is a house in Lavon on 1.17 acres, it is a 4/2, it is an older home though. https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...-47076?view=qv

The commute from the east side of Lake Lavon is misleading. There is only one real road that leads to the three cities that the OP has listed, State Highway 78. You and every other person in that part of the county are using that one road. You either go up SH78 to US Highway 380 (another awful road) or head toward Wylie. There is only one road, SH78, that passes between Lake Lavon And Lake Ray Hubbard. ONE. While SH 205 is before that area, a single accident at that area backs up traffic for miles. Then to get to Dallas, you have to go south to IH30 and across Lake Ray Hubbard. Another known bottleneck for accidents (but at least there you do have the option of SH66).

[turf3]

Originally Posted by DitsyD

The commute from the east side of Lake Lavon is misleading. There is only one real road that leads to the three cities that the OP has listed, State Highway 78. You and every other person in that part of the county are using that one road. You either go up SH78 to US Highway 380 (another awful road) or head toward Wylie. There is only one road, SH78, that passes between Lake Lavon And Lake Ray Hubbard. ONE. While SH 205 is before that area, a single accident at that area backs up traffic for miles. Then to get to Dallas, you have to go south to IH30 and across Lake Ray Hubbard. Another known bottleneck for accidents (but at least there you do have the option of SH66).

Like I said, you can probably make the drive times listed in Google Maps if you leave at 3 am Sunday morning and drive like a maniac. But Monday at 7:30? Not so much.


Is 78 still two lanes across the Lake Lavon dam?

[DitsyD]

Originally Posted by turf3

Like I said, you can probably make the drive times listed in Google Maps if you leave at 3 am Sunday morning and drive like a maniac. But Monday at 7:30? Not so much.


Is 78 still two lanes across the Lake Lavon dam?

Well, since 9-11 you can't cross the dam, but the last time I went on SH78 below the dam, they were widening it out. I don't know if that is completed yet because that construction traffic wasn't something I wanted to brave again. Still, accidents seem to take up all the width they can.

[CelestinoZ]

Originally Posted by turf3

Do you have any idea what it is like to commute from Lavon to downtown Dallas? Or to McKinney?


That would be a hell commute for 95% of normal people.


OP, you are not going to find what you want without having to spend huge amounts of time (like multiple hours every day) on the road in traffic that will be progressively worse each year. You need to go somewhere in the middle of those three locations. With a small budget I would suggest North Garland, or older parts of Richardson maybe, or Mesquite maybe (though that's a long way to McKinney), or maybe old East Plano.

Yes, I do know what it is like to drive from Lavon to downtown Dallas or Mckinney. It would be a terrible commute, and I did list estimated commute times. However, the OP did say she wanted to have about a 1 acre lot, not be in a suburb or have HOA restrictions. Why would I tell the OP to move to a suburb like Garland or Richardson, when she specifically said she didn't want to live in a suburb?

[austinaggie]

Well they are moving from Corona in Southern California so I can only surmise that a hellish commute is nothing new to them. You would be surprised what some people will be willing to do to live where they want to live. As bad a traffic is in Dallas it’s still not nearly as bad as Southern California and I am speaking from first hand experience. So if the husband is traveling to three different cities for work that leads me to believe he is doing so on alternate days so there is a good chance he is only going to downtown Dallas one or two days a week which might be something he is willing to do. Again, WE don’t know what trade offs they are willing to live with so everything else is just speculation on our part.